7 deadly sins destroying humanity

Seeta Persad

FATHER Martin Sirju, parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church in San Fernando, says the seven deadly sins — lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride — were destroying humanity.

“One of the deadliest sins, as stated in the Bible, is that of sloth because it affects particularly the virtue of hope,” Sirju said, adding that sloth can apply in the area of politics.

“Some of the worst things are said about politicians, and we have a certain attitude towards politics and politicians and, sometimes, they bring that upon themselves, because there is a kind of mentality surrounding politics.

“They tell themselves that they have waited long enough having been in politics for twenty years and they get a position so it is now time to relax, travel, eat and drink and have a good time.”

This is when the deadly sin of sloth takes over, he said.

Fr Sirju urged politicians to look at the life of Jesus and work towards saying the words, “It is accomplished” when they reach the end of their journey.

Sometimes, he said, in the language of sloth, we in TT, refer to ourselves as a “banana republic”. “In our country we hear the expression “feel safe” and this is the language of sloth as many things in our country are not working as they should,” Father Sirju said.

Sloth, he says, is a kind of laziness of the spirit.

“Sloth does not see anything beyond the present. It does not see anything clearly. It does have anything in his palm for hope.

“Sloth means a man who is looking out his window and he sees everything but nothing excites you.

“Three areas in which sloth affects people, starting with the young people in the academic sector where, it is said, there is a seventy per cent failure rate in Mathematics and forty per cent failure rate in English.

If this statistic are true then it would seem that our youths are failing.

“This is why we cannot look to these things to judge our youths as they excel in art and culture and they bring a great deal of hope to the nation,” he said.

The priest went on to say that it does not matter if we loose many battle, since Jesus lost many battles, and even at the end of his life he looked like a huge failure and it was three days later that people realised that he did not fail.

“In order to accomplish something you cannot give up. You cannot loose hope, you cannot loose heart, you cannot suffer a lack of nerve,” Father Sirju said.

He told the Good Friday parishioners at the procession on the San Fernando Hill that things can be better in the country.

“You have a obligation as a Christian to fight evil in society,” he said.

Scores of Christians gathered at the base of the hill, from as early as 5.30 am, yesterday, for the Good Friday procession to the top.

Actors and dancers re-enacted Jesus crucifixion. Demitre Ramnarine played the role of Jesus on the cross.